Gift agreement software vs Word, email, and a shared drive
By the Awarded team · Published · Updated
Do we need gift agreement software, or are Word and email enough?
If you write a small number of agreements a year from one or two templates, one person owns the whole process, and you rarely revisit old agreements, Word, email, and a shared drive can work. Software earns its keep when volume rises during a campaign, approvals involve several offices, gift officers edit templates, or a change in the law means re-reviewing hundreds of existing agreements. That is where version chaos, missed follow-ups, and risky language creep in.
Where the manual process works
Plenty of shops run gift agreements on a Word template, an intake form, email, and an e-signature tool. It costs nothing extra and everyone already knows how to use it. It holds up when:
- Volume is low and predictable.
- Agreements rarely stray from the template.
- One person drafts, routes, chases, and files everything.
- Counsel reviews only the unusual gifts.
Signs you’ve outgrown it
- Version chaos. You start from the template, but that’s the last you see of it. Drafts named “v7 FINAL” circulate by email, and nobody is sure which one the donor saw.
- Template drift. Gift officers edit approved language, including clauses counsel signed off on.
- Untracked routing. Approvals live in a spreadsheet and calendar reminders, and there are more exceptions than rules.
- Silent stalls. Agreements go out for signature and sit for weeks because nobody is tracking them.
- Compliance by rereading. When the legal landscape shifts, someone has to reread every agreement by hand to find the ones that need amending.
- Missing history. When a fund is set up, no one can say who signed off on its terms, or the agreement is in a box in the basement.
What changes with gift agreement software
| Task | Word, email, shared drive | GATO |
|---|---|---|
| Starting a draft | Find the current template and copy and paste | Intake form produces an on-template draft |
| Protecting approved language | Ask people not to change it | Locked clauses only named people can unlock |
| Compliance review | Manual, one agreement at a time | Every draft screened as it’s written; re-screen the portfolio when rules change |
| Approvals and follow-up | Email, spreadsheet, calendar reminders | Saved routes and automated reminders by email, in-app, or text |
| Comparing versions | Reread both documents | Side-by-side redlines, including signed copy against approved draft |
| Finding an old agreement | Search folders and file cabinets | Search every agreement, including legacy PDFs |
How much time is involved
Awarded estimates 4.5 to 6.5 staff hours saved per agreement, about 5.5 on average, as of October 2026. Most of it comes from back and forth and approvals rather than drafting. At 150 agreements a year, that is about 825 hours. Try your own volume on the ROI page.